Interview With a Detective
by Detective Girl 2005
Summary: Through a research project in her third year of primary school and a teenager with large spectacles suspiciously similar to someone she once knew, a daughter seeks to find the truth about her great detective of a father.Sequel! Oh the confrontations...
1. Like Father Like Daughter

_**Interview With A Detective**_

Mom would never cry in front of me, one thing she absolutely refused to do. She told me once that she was _super_ strong, able to handle anything, and I remember believing her. To a point. I knew it was hard for Mom though, deep down I always knew. Even though she never cried in front of me and I have never seen her do it openly, I could see how sad she was. I think it was her eyes that showed it all, not because they would sometimes get all glossy if she looked at a picture of her and Dad together a long, long, _long_ time ago, but you could just _see_ the sadness in her.

That was another thing Dad once said. Sometimes looks just say it all.

It's been a while since Dad died, I think I was only three but I still have a good memory of it all. I remember Mom being _really_ upset when the police came to our house. I think that was the only time I _truly_ saw Mom cry and because I really didn't know what was going on I cried too. Ever since then, it's just been me and Mom and Grandpa's old Detective Agency. After Dad died, Mom decided to move into her old home since Grandpa chose to go live with Grandma to give Mom her _'space'_. I love where I currently live but sometimes I kind of miss that old house, it was big and beautiful and I had a _huge_ yard to play in. I remember a lot from back then, or at least I try to.

Especially, if it has anything to do with my Dad.

But really, the only things that I can clearly remember about my Dad when I was little is his smell from when I use to sleep on his stomach as he read his books, the way he would pick me up and flip me upside down by my ankles to make me laugh, being carried on his back, and his voice from when he would talk to me or sneak into my room late at night when he came home from work just to wish me goodnight before he went to bed. Remembering those things is what I had left of Dad and for me it was what made my Dad.

Mom did tell me once that even if people were gone it didn't mean they were gone in our hearts and minds. So I guess for me, Dad kind of lived on inside my heart and memories.

I just wish I had more of Dad to live on inside my heart.

Funny thing is out of it all, I never knew that through someone else….that wish could actually come to be.

* * *

_**April 3, Monday**_

There were only certain periods in the year would I see Mom in her 'down' times. It was only four times during the year: Dad's birthday, the day Dad 'came back to her', the day Dad proposed to her (that's a funny story actually), and Mom and Dad's Anniversary. It was the month of April and exactly one month and one day before my Dad's birthday. Mom said he would have been twenty seven if he were here with us on May fourth. So in other words, it was exactly one month and a day away from seeing Mom in her down period and we would be taking another trip to Osaka to get Mom's head _clear_ and not dwelling on the past.

It sometimes kind of made me mad, Mom being like this. More than anything I wanted Mom to be truly happy and not just living and getting by. It's been five years and of course it was hard at first, I remember it was so hard Aunt Sonoko would stay with us sometimes and Aunt Kazuha would visit for a while as well to check on Mom. But five years is five _years,_ one thousand eight hundred and twenty five days! Mom needed to _**move on**_. Every time I would tell her that she would give me this weird mixture of a look where she would smile but she still had that sad expression in her eyes and say-

"_Rei-chan, even though your Dad is gone, he isn't gone from my heart. You may not understand it now, but your Dad and I have always had this special connection. A connection so special I could always __**feel **__when something bad has happened to him and it was the same for him because whenever I was in trouble he was the first to know and be there to rescue me. When I can no longer __**feel **__your Dad within me that will be the day I will decide if I should move on. But I still today, I still __**feel **__your Dad within me and I just can't give up on him that easily."_

Well, Mom was right, I didn't understand. I knew it wasn't entirely fair to be mad at her for that but more so at my Dad who left us both. I loved my Dad but that didn't mean I wasn't angry at him or forgave him. Because of Dad, Mom had these 'down' times and it was because of Dad that I would catch Mom late at night watching the news as if she was about to cry or staring at our old photos. Most of all, it was because of Dad that I had to be strong for Mom and never show her I was hurting too when I _was_.

It was because of Dad I secretly did feel damaged, like a little piece of me was wounded or unfilled, because I longed for him. But no one needed to know that, especially Mom because it would just bring her more grief.

At least, I had school to keep my mind off of all that rubbish.

"Hey Mom, I'm home!"

I smiled in excitement seeing Mom's reaction when she poked her head from the kitchen upon hearing the door open and seeing me. She rushed to take off her apron, smiling brightly all the while, to come bustling into the living room to pull me into a tight hug.

"Welcome home Rei-chan! How was your first day at school as a third year?"

Mom was energized, in the least to say, ever since I began school. She was thrilled for me to get out there to make friends and grow up to be big, strong, and smarter than ever. To expand my mind and broaden my perspectives, she would say. Just like Dad. Even though, I secretly had a goal to be smarter than Dad ever was when he was a kid. Maybe that's another thing from the inside that drove me to excellence in my studies. I wanted to be better than Dad to make Mom proud.

Mom was even more wound up about me starting school this year since I was being put into advanced placement. It was a big thing, _**I guess**_, and sure I was happy but I think Mom was more excited about it than I was. To me it just meant more loads of work to take home. Not the kind of things I liked.

"What's for dinner tonight, Mom?" I asked, my arms loosening around her waist as I pulled my face away from her stomach where I would purposely bury my head in to inhale her scent. She always smelled so nice, like vanilla, or flowers, something sweet that calmed me down when I was upset or sad. I looked up at her as she removed the one hand that held the back of my head to pull me close to her to tap her finger against her chin.

She looked quizzical for a moment "Hmmmm…." And then looked back down at me and winked "That's a surprise!"

I arched an eyebrow at this, a quality Mom said I must have perfected from Dad on my own, and looked at her suspiciously "I see…."

Mom laughed and ran one hand hair through my hair to smooth any flyaways. My hair had a tendency to getting unruly sometimes, another quality from Dad with my slightly tousled dark chestnut brown hair I inherited from him. My hair right now was about down to my shoulders but I had a goal to get my hair as long as Mom's which went down almost to the end of her back! She said she only goes for trims but it took her since her childhood to get her hair that long. So which is why I refused to get my hair cut short like all my other friends do.

"Ne, Rei-chan. I think it's time for homework, don't you? "

I groaned, I should have seen that one coming. Every time I come home from school, Mom was on me to either do my homework or piano lessons before I did anything else. I was so dead beat and the last thing I wanted to focus on was my multiplication and division work. Mom laughed again at my reaction and let her hand rest on my head.

"But! Since it was your first day I will allow this _once_ for you to watch a couple minutes of television before you do any work since you look so _'dead'_ from school. But after dinner it's back to the grind!"

I silently looked up to the ceiling thanking Kami for this while holding a fist up in victory before looking at Mom and nodding my head.

"Sure!"

I went to turn on the tv and tossed my back pack on top of the center table in the living room before finally flopping down on one of the floor cushions while Mom went back into the kitchen. I was wiped out, even if it was the first day of school, but my Sensei already decided to give us our first _big_ assignment- a "welcome back kind of thing". Yeah, no thank you Sensei…

Mom came out with a tray of drinks and snacks for the both of us setting it on the center table and took a seat next to me before pulling me from the floor cushions and onto her lap.

"Rei-chan! What's with you, sleepy already?" Mom smiled as I twisted around in her lap to turn my head up at her, scowling at the question.

"Mom." I started flatly " I don't think you have any idea what my new teacher is putting me through already. Home work on the first day of school! And not any kind of ordinary work, oh no, but a _project!" _ I groaned, sliding down from my mother's stomach I leaned against to where I dramatically played dead, my arms splayed out and my face looking up towards the ceiling.

"I can go ahead and kiss my life goodbye!" I moaned, waving my hand in the air as if I could already see my social life slipping away from me. Floating higher and higher into the ceiling, my dreams of going on adventures with my friends and sleepovers, and then poof! All gone, disappeared into thin air, all due to the burdens of third year of primary school!

Mom giggled at my theatrics, strumming her fingers through my hair, first with my bangs and then with lengths of my hair, combing her fingers gently through untangling any knots. I loved it when she did that. Mom said once too, so did my Dad, it comforted him like it did to me. I sighed in content ready to fall asleep right there in her lap, my sight decreasing as my eyelids began to droop over as she played with my hair when she stopped and tilted my chin up waking me.

"Since we're kissing your life goodbye does that means were also kissing goodbye the delicious curry I made for you tonight?"

"Wha-NO!" I immediately replied rolling off her lap and sitting up. Mom didn't make my favorite curry often and it was usually on special occasions so there was no way I was kissing that meal goodbye.

"I want curry!" I about squealed in delight and slapped a hand over my mouth when my voice got embarrassingly high pitched. It only happened when I got really excited and I felt stupid when it happened without my control.

Mom laughed even harder, she loved hearing me get excited like that. She said I would squeal like that as a baby too when I was really happy. I laughed too, not because it was funny but because I was glad to see I made Mom _really_ laugh. I always thought she looked so pretty when she laughed openly, like nothing was holding her back.

"Okay, okay. I guess this means we continue on with our lives and have some delicious curry and-"

Mom held her finger up to tap me on the nose and wink "-a very special dessert, lemon pie squares!"

Was it _my_ birthday? This night just keeps getting better and better and I jumped to my feet to wring my arms around Mom's neck to hug her.

"You're awesome, Mom!"

"Mhhhmm!", Mom squeezed me tighter into her and then pulled away to grab my shoulders and kiss my forehead before standing up to brush herself off and walk back into the kitchen.

Mom paused and turned to me as I went to turn off the tv, pointing at me and then to the center table where my back pack was "Go wash up and put away your things so we can eat, okay?"

"Yes mam!" I was already ahead of her after shutting off the television running down the hall with my backpack on to my room that used to be Mom's old room when she was younger.

The walls in my room were pink and my bed sheets and comforter were purple with a big stuffed basketball pillow at the head of the bed. I loved playing basketball, something you could say that was _my_ knack in the family. Dad had soccer, being the captain of his high school team and if he didn't choose to go into the police force as a detective Mom said he could have been an international star. Mom had karate, being the captain of her high school and collegiate team while winning many conference titles. _Me_? Well, heh, I was point guard and the captain of my junior squad. Mom even had me go to basketball clinics during my school year breaks which I loved because I got _tons_ better with new skills up my sleeves! Watch out in another four years I _will_ be queen of the court of junior high!

But not only did I do basketball, Mom as the lead Sensei and director of her own dojo had me specially trained in Karate for self protection. I did try soccer when I was _waaaay _younger, but I sucked. I didn't like to suck at things, so I kind of left soccer alone. Sorry, Dad. Grandpa started teaching me Judo at age five, Uncle Heiji had me start learning Kendo with his son about two years ago, and Aunt Kazuha started teaching me Aikido one year ago when I turned seven . A birthday present, kind of. Not only that, Professor Agasa gave me some cool 'toys' to use only in emergencies and Ai-neesan told me to just tell her when someone was bothering me and she would make them disappear with her own 'science'.

I guess you could say my family wanted to make sure I was well rounded in all things and kept as safe as possible. Sometimes they went a little overboard….

Also in my room there was a special area of my wall that was covered with old and new pictures. Pictures plastered everywhere of me with my family from when I was a baby to a toddler and pictures of Mom and I during vacations and other various things. I had pictures with Grandma Yukiko when she 'kidnapped' me last year and to take me to New York, which was _**so**_ cool. Mom followed along because she didn't feel 'comfortable' with me being in a city that big and dangerous. Mom didn't feel comfortable with me being alone anywhere in risky areas. Almost everything was risky to her, need you know, and her lame excuse is because I'm her _baby_. I don't think Mom has realized yet that I can handle myself fairly well with knowledge in a _bajillion_ different things in the martial arts and Professor Agasa's 'safety' toys that I had to keep secret because he said Mom probably wouldn't like the idea of me having things like pepper spray in the form of everyday strawberry flavored lip balm. Oh and of course my brain, I was pretty much a genius if I say so myself. I schemed my way out of many tight times strategically, like when I broke a stack of dishes on accident I blamed it on super natural powers of child like ghost in the house…..to my surprise and good favor, Mom bought it.

I was practically lethal.

Plus the other thing I had was-

'_**AROOF'**_

"Holmes!" I half shrieked, noticing a large lump in my bed moving and then ripping off the covers by shaking his black and brown head where his large pointy ear came to surface in my vision until he pounced on me sending me backwards into the carpet floor.

I had Holmes, our large German Shepherd who would kill anyone that tried to lay a finger on my Mom or I. Dad got him when I was a baby so we basically grew up together.

Holmes was one of my best friends.

"What did I tell you about getting in _my _bed?", I lectured pushing his muzzle away from my face as he pushed to wipe his slippery, drool infested, tongue all over my face.

"You're not listening!" I laughed as he shook out of my grasp and drowned my face in saliva, his paws resting on my shoulders as he dominated over me. "So _**disgusting!**_"

" I see you found Holmes, hm? I wondered what all the noise was about."

Holmes and I froze as I looked up from the floor, my eyes rolling up to see Mom now changed into a pair of blue jeans and a casual t shirt and out of her business uniform she was in earlier leaning against my door frame. Mom's other job was that she helped run Grandma's law agency business so she always had to look professional with her blazers, blouses, dress pants, skirts, and a _closet_ full of heels that I would sometimes sneak on and wear around the house as practice.

"Uh, yeah….he was in my bed!"

"See why I tell you to close your door before you leave? It's a good thing he didn't make a mess." Mom said as she ushered Holmes off me and out of the room so I could stand up.

I playfully turned my nose in the air and threw my hands on my hips like I was high and mighty "Keh! Like the dog would even dare tamper with the room of Kudou Rei! He knows his demise would be quick if he even tried ruining it!"

Mom rolled her eyes walking up behind me to start pushing me out of the room "Hai, hai….whatever you say almighty Rei. Right now, you _definitely_ need to clean up before you go near the food." Mom leaned down to sniff me and wrinkled her nose "You smell like dog!"

* * *

"Now…" Mom took a sip from her glass of water and set down her spoon beside her plate as I continued to eat, shifting my eyes up at her. "You said you were given a project from your Sensei today? "

Oh yeah. That thing.

I took in another spoonful or curry and rice and swallowed before replying "It's a research project." I reached for my cup of juice and took a couple sips.

"Oh?" Mom seemed interested now " Science? History? Japanese?"

I hesitated wondering if it was a good idea bringing this up right now since the mood has been really nice since I got home. It's not like I could avoid it now by the way Mom was playing twenty questions about school at dinner.

"Well….I guess you call it a history project. I kind of have to do an interview and research about someone from my family lineage…."

Mom's eyebrows rose as she set down her cup and folded her hands together on the table. " I see! Who were you thinking of doing since I am guessing this is over our deceased relatives?"

I casted my eyes down away from Mom's and to my plate of food where I began to poke and prod at my left over rice. I really didn't want to go there tonight but…

Here goes….

"I was kind of thinking of researching about Dad."

I didn't look up right away but allowed the moment of silence to settle in, afraid what Mom's reaction would be. I finally forced myself to look back up at Mom and instead of finding her upset like I expected she was smiling softly.

"Why's that, Rei-chan?"

I felt my cheeks become red as I tried to figure out the best way to explain it to her if there was a good way of explaining it from my standing point. "Well, because you tell me a lot at times I am like Dad more than I know…."

My cheeks bloomed more red as Mom nodded her head continuing me on, her smile unwavering but growing " ….and well I just would like to know for myself how much we are alike! You said he was really cool, smart, caring, and cocky. I want to find a sense of him for myself and gain my own opinions by trying to really know his past! I feel in ways that if I found out for myself it will really help me know Dad better!"

Mom sighed happily and leaned backwards from the table we sat at with her arms stretched behind her holding her weight up. "I should have seen this coming from you!"

I crawled around the table to where I could clamber into her lap again looking up at her, making sure she really was okay about this.

"You should've?" I asked her watching her eyes flutter down to me, one hand reaching around to rest on the back of my head where her fingers could comb through my hair again.

"Mmmmhhhmmm." Mom smiled, looking into my eyes as if she was searching for something in them. That's another thing Mom would do, look into my eyes intently. She said she always wondered where I got my eyes from since they were more of a bright cerulean blue than the dark purple to blue Mom and Dad had. Mom said it went well with the dark contrast of my dark brown hair and one of the many attractive aspects about me.

"Your father would have been delighted with this idea!" Mom laughed genuinely thinking about it. " He was always an attention hog, that man was. But…"

Mom's expression changed slightly as of thinking back on to something else "He was also very eccentric sometimes. Your father ever since he was young would involve himself in dangerous cases that meant sometimes he had to keep things to himself to protect others…."

I listened to Mom carefully, wondering what she meant by the way she talked about Dad being secretive for others. "Do you mean Dad was…like a spy or something?" I asked innocently that sent Mom doubled over laughing so hard her body shook against mine.

"Silly child!" Mom reached up to her eyes to wipe away her tears, her breathing in hitches now from laughing so much. "No, absolutely not. It's so funny to even imagine! Your father did not go into the spy business, he was too geeky for that!"

I grinned, "Yeah, and that's one trait I didn't pick up from him!"

Mom started laughing again " You are right about that!" She then nuzzled her face into mine making me squeal with laughter.

"You have all the coolness you need from _me_ and just by being who you are!"

"Ughhhhhhhh….."

It was Sunday and there was absolutely, completely, zip, zero, nada, _**nothing**_ to do. Of all the days, my friends were busy with something or with their families and I was stuck in the agency re-reading my old books. At the moment I was entertaining myself with one of the 'Queen of Crimes' or Agatha Christie's books-Death on the Nile. I always preferred reading novels written by female mystery writers or female PIs for the reason just because Doyle and Rampo wrote about great male PIs which were widely acclaimed, I believed women could do it just as well or better. This made Mom laugh and told me I should go spend some time with Inspector Satou because she had the similar beliefs as me.

"Holmes…you're making my feet hot. Move!"

I glared at Holmes, whom without my permission jumped on my bed and made himself comfortable by laying his big body across my short legs and feet looked up at me groggily. That dog could be so lazy at times and he always chose to be like that on my bed or on me! But this is what we did sometimes on Sunday mornings and afternoons. I would lay in my bed reading and he would lay on me until Mom would come in and make me clean, go run errands with her, or at least do something 'productive'. Even though Mom liked to be out and about, there were usually a couple times in the week where we would just snuggle up against each other and read our favorite books or have our lazy times. But, today Mom went to go run a couple errands including having to go see Grandma for a bit at the law agency to help her with something. She invited me to come but I politely declined because I felt I could better my time reading and not just being bored in Grandma's office.

I groaned again about to push Holmes off of me because he wasn't budging even when I started moving my feet up and down when my phone started buzzing. Picking up my orange cased phone ( I asked orange on purpose because it reminded me of a basketball) I flipped it open to see I had a message from Mom.

_**'Rei-chan! Looks like I'm going to be a little late than originally planned. Instead of being holed up reading all day in your room why don't you go to Agasa's and play? I'll pick you up when I'm done. Love you X X X'**_

I glared at the text message and sighed closing my phone shut. "Fine! But all he is going to do is make me do his dumb quizzes and riddles! They are _**so **_boring!" I mumbled to myself as I removed my legs from under Holmes and hopped down from my bed. Stuffing my cellphone in the back pocket of my jeans I headed towards the door with Holmes following me and slid on my sneakers. While I was tying up my laces Holmes looked at me and whimpered as if he was pleading to take me with him.

"That wont work on me Holmes. You cant come! You know how the professor feels about animals in his lab."

Holmes barked in response but I ignored him and before shutting the door while leaving I looked at Holmes howling at me and smiled sadly "Sorry! But I'm leaving now so be good Holmes! You can go sleep in my bed!"

* * *

"Professor?" I called opening the front door to crack to check if anyone was home and waited a few moments and when not hearing a reply I just walked in. Professor usually left his door unlocked so he never really minded when I waltzed in to my own choosing.

I doubled over to start untying my shoes after shutting the door behind me when I noticed a large shadow slowly grow and loom over me. I thought it was Agasa until I heard his voice which was completely different than Agasa's own voice. It wasn't as old and rusty but smooth but it almost sounded as if he was on edge about something.

"Can I help you?"

Not even able to finish untying my other shoe, I slowly looked up to see who was this stranger and was met with dark emerald blue eyes questioning me. The first thing I noticed about this guy was definitely his eyes, they were sharp, unwavering, and they studied me very closely as my eyes landed on his when I looked up at him. The next thing I noticed about him was how tall he was-which was _super_ tall. Well at least he was a good couples inches to a foot taller than my Mom and because I was so short and the way Mom would tower over me I felt this guy was incredibly tall. He had dark brown hair which was kind of unruly but it looked nice in a weird way. Like Mom said about me, the dark contrast if his hair went well with his eyes. He wore on his face a thick pair of black framed glasses that were slightly angled funny like they have been broken before and not properly adjusted. He was kind of young too, like in his late teens or early twenties but it could be the way he was dressed in a blazer and dress pants that made him seem older.

For some reason with the way he was looking at me and especially when I was able to look him face on and how his eyes slowly expanded and his lips that were in a tight line slowly parted in an 'o' when we stood staring at each other, I became unusually bashful.

"Uh…H-hello. My name is Kudou Rei….I was looking for Professor Agasa?" I mumbled shyly as the weird guy continued staring at me like fish out of water. I was starting to get the creepy vibes from this weirdo.

"R-Rei?" He stuttered and I nodded my head in response.

"Yup, that would be my name." This guy was starting to throw me off by the way he was acting which did I say already was creepy?

I practically jumped out of my skin when he suddenly ran towards me and knelt on the ground grasping my shoulders. His face quickly changed from shock to pure delight as he looked me up and down and went back to looking at my face which I'm sure I was looking prettyyyyy scared right now.

"You have gotten so big!" he exclaimed proudly, his mouth stretched into a large grin "You resemble Ran so much when she was a kid!"

Big? My mother? Okay, I was this was officially in the zone of creepiness and I quickly took a step back away from his hold and threw an accusing finger in his face .

"Do I know you? And how do you know about my mother? You're awfully suspicious sir!"

He blinked a few times at my finger that was in his face before rocking back on his heels laughing. His laughter was surprisingly easy going and kind of made me happy to hear for some odd reason but as soon as he was done his grin was replaced with a confident smirk and his eyes grew even sharper.

"You may not know me well but I do know _you_. More than you know." He stood up as I continued to stare at him more confused than ever.

"Hmmm…." He cupped his chin with thumb and finger as if he was thinking, something my Mom said my Dad did a lot when he was in thought too. " I guess I am kind of like a relative of some sort you could say. My name is Edogawa Conan-"

He then knelt back down to my level and winked at me " A private detective at your service!"

Conan? I could have sworn hearing Mom mention that name once or twice before and sometimes when she and Uncle Heiji would talk. For some reason the way this guy would grin, smirk, laugh, and the way he would look at me it was all so familiar. Before I could ask any more questions Ai-neesan appeared behind Conan with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her lab coat. She looked sort of mad for some reason but her looks softened when she noticed me.

"Oh, hello there Rei-chan. I see you have met Edogawa-kun?"

I looked at Ai-neesan and then back at Conan who was still smiling at me as if he couldn't quit looking at me which was kind of weird. " Err…yeah. Um, Ai-neesan could you tell me where the Professor is?"

Involuntarily, Ai-neesan's eyes flickered from to Conan and then to her laboratory "He left early this morning to see a friend. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

I stuffed my hands in the back of my pockets feeling embarrassed by thinking I interrupted Ai-neesan's work. "Well, I…um…I wanted Professor Agasa to help me with this new research project. I am researching about my Dad and Mom said Agasa has known Dad since he was a baby…."

I noticed when I was explaining my project to Ai-neesan, Conan's eyes began to light up, as if he was getting excited or something. Ai-neesan thought about what I said for a moment and then smiled and kicked Conan in the butt making him shoot up from where he knelt and glare at her.

"You know Rei-chan…" she said smoothly, looking at Conan with eyes that almost seemed suspiciously scary "I feel like Edogawa-kun would be the _**perfect**_ candidate to interview about Kudou-kun."

Conan twisted around as if to whisper something to Ai-neesan in a voice so low I couldn't hear but when she just nodded her head once he turned back to me grinning.

"Shall we do an interview?" he offered, motioning with a wave with his hand towards the living room. I looked at Ai-neesan unsure but when she smiled at me and nodded once I felt a little more comfortable about it all. I finished taking off my shoes and trailed behind Conan to the living room as Ai-neesan chuckled all the way back down to her laboratory.

I honestly was curious was this Conan guy had to say about my Dad…

* * *

_**Mmmm…I definitely like the idea of Shinichi and Ran having a daughter more than a son and this is my take through her view of what she would be like. This was part one of this two chaptered story and I hope you liked it and has captivated your interest to see where this is going to go. I know I have a habit with not finishing stories I start but I promise they will all get done, haha! In time. But this one should be complete soon. Hope you enjoyed and tell me what you thought through reviews because I am a review whore XD- Detcetivegirl2005**_


	2. Nostalgia

"Let's see here…"

I watched Conan walk from behind my couch with bundle of things being balanced in his two large hands that he set down in the center table before me. He silently in his head pointed to each thing as if he was counting or double checking if he got everything he needed before shifting his eyes back on me that looked at him curious as of what he was doing.

"Materials you may need during our interview." He answered grinning, as if he could read exactly what I was thinking.

"O-oh…" I blushed, twisting my hands together as I watched him organize everything together as he chuckled to himself. I don't know why I was nervous all of a sudden…

"Your expression said it all." Conan replied without looking up, flipping through a small notebook pad to check if all the pages were blank. Satisfied, he extended the small notepad out to me and winked "You were curious why I got all this stuff, right? Here take the notepad-it'll be good for notes."

I could feel my ears getting hot as I nodded my head silently and took the notepad out of his hand "T-thanks…" I shyly mumbled, too embarrassed to look up if he was grinning or laughing again. Under normal circumstances, I do _**not**_ act this timid! I was usually very outgoing and was able to voice my opinions with ease, especially with boys. Young or old, I do not _care_, the last thing I was going to be was _shy_ around boys or act like I was weak. That just wasn't my style, I was more, what Mom would say, borderline overconfident in situations like these. So right now, it really did bug me by the way I was acting like a total goofball around this complete stranger! It was like I wasn't even myself but around him I felt smaller than usual. Not because he was tall-_like super tall_, but by the way he spoke and would look at me even when I wasn't looking at him, the way he laughed, and the way he smiled. He made me feel defenseless because it was like he could already see through my exterior and there was no point of even trying to build a wall against this guy. There was no way I could one up him and it was kind of frustrating me.

It was definitely official….I don't think this Edogawa guy washuman. This was the only logical explanation for all of this. Yup. Logical, once you eliminate the probable all that is left is the impossible.

"Also, you will need your writing utensil. " Conan added, placing a pencil in, what I have now noticed, my tiny hand against his huge outreached hand when I opened up my palm for him to hand it to me. I think he caught me staring when he smiled and chuckled again "Yeah, I agree- your hands are tiny compared to mine!"

_**Get out of my head! **_

I quickly hid my hands behind my back more embarrassed than ever as he laughed even harder to my facial reaction. Just who did this guy think he was? I don't know if I was glaring at him or if I just looked plain upset but he stopped himself from laughing and dismissed the comment with couple waves of his hand.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to offend you. It's nothing to be ashamed of! Your small hands are cute!" He then winked at me again, surprising me with the most indisputable smile I have ever seen, like the one my Mom would give me when she told me she loved me. And his eyes, they were filled with the same softness like Mom had too when she stared at me after whispering I love you to me in my ear before I went to bed or after a big hug. This Conan had the same look as he smiled at me. I didn't know how to really respond to this but just look back at him, my lips parted as if to say something until he interrupted whatever my next transition of thoughts were.

"I promise." He said, confirming me as if I didn't believe him. But, oddly enough, I honestly did believe him because the way he just looked at me was like…..like he _**loved**_ me, it was the same exact, twin, clone-version, identical look as Mom's. And there was no mistaking that look my Mom gave me, it was her mushy look, the look I always enjoyed seeing from her to me. So it was kind of odd seeing it from Conan…

And I promise I am not, as Mom would say I would do when upset, exaggerating the situation….this time. I couldn't exaggerate a face like that because I just _knew_ what it always meant, like Dad would say- looks just say it all.

"Thanks, I guess….." I muttered as I slowly revealed my hands from behind my torso and back to my lap. I don't think my face could get any redder but I think this Edogawa guy was having fun by seeing just how much of my blood could rush to my face at once.

Trying to direct the attention elsewhere I picked up a news clipping spread out on the table dated back ten years ago and held it up in the sunlight that glowed in from Agasa's large sliding glass doors we sat near to see.

"Is this Dad?" I asked, looking at a photograph in the newspaper article of a teenager in a blue suit with a red bowtie talking to a group of police officers. In the background you could see this man in tattered clothes with long black hair, which I assumed was the criminal convicted by my Dad, being escorted to the back of the police car with a crowd of people watching.

"That would be him!" Conan grinned, he then sifted through some more items on the table and picked up a red bowtie. "And this,Rei-chan is his signature red bowtie."

I laughed for the first time getting here when I noticed the red bowtie dangling from Conan's two fingers. It looked so silly and to think my Dad would sport that thing around during his cases! Maybe, Dad really was as geeky as Mom described.

"Wow…what's so great about it?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I examined the piece of fabric in my hands.

"What? You cant tell?" Conan asked, snatching the bowtie out of my hands as if he was offended. He took a moment to adjust something on the back of it, and then held it close to his lips giving me another wink. "This is no ordinary bowtie Rei-chan, but a voice changer!"

What came out, I wasn't expecting at all. It was no longer Conan's voice that spoke but more of a high pitched feminine voice, a kid's voice, _**my voice**_. I think it took me a moment to register before I jumped out of my spot on the couch and leaned over the center table where Conan was grinning on the opposite couch with the bowtie.

"_**Whoa . **_How did you _**do that!" **_ I gasped, reaching out for the bowtie. "You just changed your voice to mine!"

"Well," Conan started rolling the bowtie over in his hands before handing it to me that I grabbed eagerly to hold again " that's because it is a voice modifier. It helped your Dad solve many cases and get him out of tight situations!"

"That's so cool!" I fawned over the device " So, Dad used secret cool gadgets to catch criminals?" I was getting really excited now and if I wasn't careful my voice would get squeaky again if I didn't catch myself.

But, Conan laughed nonetheless and shrugged his broad shoulders "I guess, you could actually put it that way if you want too." Conan then leaned over the table and tapped his finger on the small notepad next to me and smiled "Make sure you don't forget to write all this down because, after all, this is an interview."

" Oh, yeah yeah!" I rushed out with enthusiasm, picking up the pad and pencil and jotted down my first note which read:

_Dad's gadgets to help crack the cases-_

_Gadget Number One- the bowtie voice modifyer._

I double checked my first line of notes, unsure if I spelled modifier correct or not, and after a second feeling comfortable in my mind that I did, I then moved on to draw a quick drawing of the bowtie beside the note.

Conan peered over to see what I was doing and I looked up at him without question replying "Pictures with my notes always helps me better. I'm a visual person." Even if my notes were scribbly and sometimes contained stick figures, I mean I was no artist, I did do my best and it helped.

" Ahh, I see, I see." Conan nodded his head smiling leaning back into his spot on the couch. When I was finished I flipped my notepad around for him to look too, grinning as I joked "See, my masterpiece!"

Conan grinned back at me after giving one good look at the scribble and he even leaned over the table for an even close up look " Yes, yes! That's actually pretty good! You got the details down and even shaded it in!"

My smile stretched even more as I looked at the picture myself and then back at Conan "Really?" He nodded his head twice, chuckling as I nodded to myself. " Cool. You know my Dad always said it was in the detail that was the most important." I looked up at the ceiling placing my thumb and finger against my chin trying to recollect my thoughts "There is something I have memorized that my Dad had said and it's always stuck with me. It was '_even the smallest, most minuscule detail could be the key to either break or make a case_'." I looked back down from the ceiling and smiled broadly " So it may sound silly when I say I am all about the details in things and why I like drawing pictures just in case I missed anything! Because if I miss even the smallest thing I could, in way, miss the whole picture of what I'm looking at!"

I started to laugh nervously, feeling uneasy if I just sounded really weird or if I said something wrong when I didn't hear Conan reply at first. When I was about to say something to cover up for being incorrect I immediately fell short on my words. Conan wasn't saying anything because he was just smiling _that smile_ again and looking at me with the same soft eyes that didn't need any words for me to tell what it meant.

I felt my ears grow hot and I quickly looked away. Why was he looking at me like this? Was I just a really silly kid that entertained him? I was starting to feel stupid. I lunged for something else on the table and now picked up a thick silver watch that looked appealing to me.

" What's this!" I blurted, holding the watch in front of me for Conan to examine, ready to move on from this weird moment.

As if snapping out of something Conan blinked a few times and responded with an "Ah. A watch."

My eyes thinned at his response, I was starting to get annoyed " Well, thank you Captain Obvious! I can see that. " I held the watch even closer to Conan and emphasized on each of my words " But…what. Is. _**It.**_ "

Conan laughed once and then his eyes grew sharp as he grinned madly "I'd be careful with that if I were you. One wrong press and it will shoot out a deadly invisible needle to penetrate into your skin and once hitting your bloodstream- its poison will infiltrate your system and kill you within _seconds._"

With a gasp, I dropped the watch on the table and backed away making Conan roar with laughter.

"What's so funny?" I glared at Conan who was now holding stomach as I threw an accusing finger in his direction. "This is not a laughing matter! You just let a _**child**_ almost play with that deadly weapon! I hope you're proud of yourself."

Between laughs Conan held up two hands as if surrendering and calmed himself down "I'm kidding, I am just kidding with you Rei-chan. It's not a deadly weapon, I promise."

I gave Conan a deadpan look, not exactly thrilled being fooled like that "What." I shortly responded.

Conan picked up the watch and held it up in front of me" But, this watch is indeed no ordinary watch. It is a _tranquilizer gun_."

"Amazing…" I murmured, looking over the watch myself when Conan, after showing me how to handle the gadget and made sure there were no sleeping darts within it, handed the watch back to me. "I'm really starting to believe Dad was a spy or something with all these gadgets…."

Conan laughed as he watched me try on the watch and flip open the target scope an aim around the room . "He was something alright! But I think spy is going too far! Your father just had to use a few tools to help him solve his cases."

"Tools, huh?" I pondered, looking at the rest of things on the table. There was a belt, sneakers, an earring piece, little attachable speakers, and more pictures/articles. Wordlessly I picked up another article that had a small boy grinning in it with other children posing in the background. The young boy in the middle grinning wore the same blue blazer and red bowtie, grey shorts with the belt that was on the table, a watch his wrist wear he was holding up a 'V' with his fingers, and red sneakers. He was wearing all the gadgets Dad used to help solve his cases. Beside the picture was a title reading 'Elementary Students Keeping Japan's Society Clean from Criminals".

I looked up from the picture and back to Conan " This is you, right?"

Conan nodded his head once, a smile still on his face.

"And these kids….this is Ayumi-neechan when she was about my age with her two friends! And…there is Ai-neesan too but she looks my age as well…but…" my words trailed off as I studied the picture more closely while Conan watched me closely.

My face crumbled in confusion. Ai-neesan right now looked much older than Conan who looked like an older teenager, but….in the picture she looked around his age. Obviously, this photo wasn't making sense in my head. Why was Conan wearing Dad's stuff? Why was Ai-neesan not at least a teenager in this photo? I sat down on the couch and then noticed the picture of Dad that I picked up previously and immediately slid it next to the young Conan photo and stared. Nothing was clicking because it didn't make sense. I mean Conan and Dad looked _a lot _alike but they were different ages and why did Dad let him use _his_ stuff? This seemed like a huge puzzle and it was like I felt like I have heard something like this before and the only things I could think of relating to this was when Ayumi-neechan walked home with me once.

I remember asking her what ever happened to the Detective Boys and she would always tell me about their adventurous and sometimes dangerous stories that went along with it too. One day I even asked about this Conan kid that everyone talked about and I remember Ayumi-neechan getting really weird about it….

_**Ayumi-neechan stopped swinging her satchel bag in her hand happily and got really quiet. She let out a sigh through her nose and turned her face up to the sky smiling sadly.**_

"_**Well….the Detective Boys at one point ran into a really dangerous case. It was really scary at some parts and it was so dangerous even the whole police force got involved within it. When we did finally solve it, two of our members had to leave our group…"**_

_**I raised an eyebrow "Leave..?"**_

_**Ayumi-neechan looked back down at me" I mean they didn't die or anything nor did we kick them out! They just….well, you remember that Conan kid I talked to you about?"**_

_**I grinned "Oh yeah, the one that was like the leader of the group and who you were kind of in love with?"**_

_**Ayumi-neechan stopped in her tracks, her eyes getting reallyyyy big, and her face getting reallyyyy red, so red it looked almost like a tomato! "How did yo- I mean. Yes." Ayumi-neechan sighed dropping her shoulders as I laughed watching her go from flustering to just simply giving up. "Yes, **__**that**__** Conan."**_

_**We started walking again and I could almost see the Detective Agency coming into view. "Well…what happened to Conan-kun, Ayumi-neechan?" I asked, curious now.**_

_**I looked up at Ayumi-neechan who shrugged her shoulders and then looked back at me smiling sadly again "They said he left to go back to America with his parents. Just like that. We haven't heard from him for almost five years now…."**_

_**I felt bad for Ayumi-neechan, she looked so sad when talking about it. I reached my hand up and wrapped my fingers around her loose hand. "I'm sorry, Ayumi-neechan. Must be hard to lose a good friend like that." I murmured, trying to comfort her even though I probably was silly in trying to imagine how much she was hurting. But, I felt like I could understand her in some ways.**_

_**Ayumi-neechan looked surprised at me and then her gaze softened as she squeezed my hand tighter in response. "Don't worry, Rei-chan!" she smiled brightly now as she held my hand walking me up the stairs to the detective agency "Our other friend that left the group, we still see her and communicate with her and best of all-"**_

_**We stopped in front of my door where she dropped to her knees and scooped me in a tight hug that made laugh because she rubbing her cheek against mine. "Best of all, we have cute Rei-chan with us now! You are our honorary Detective Boys member!"**_

Mom would also talk about Conan sometimes. How she watched over him for about year and the stories of all the adventures they had together too. Mom said Conan was very bright, said a lot of things Dad would say, troublesome, stubborn, sneaky but overall she was lucky to have Conan in her life when she did. She also told me that Conan had to leave to go back to America after living with her for a year and soon after Conan left Dad came back from his big case that kept him away from her for almost over a year. No one really saw Conan again from that point….till now. Here, Conan was in front of me but…..

I looked at the pictures again and put my notepad on the table where I wrote in it feverishly. I wrote down how long ago Conan left and what Ayumi-neechan had said. She hasn't heard from Conan in five years, Mom said Conan left before I was born, and the whole weird thing with Ai-neesan in the picture, and the gadgets that helped my Da- Oh. _**Ohhhh…**_

I looked up at Conan who sat patiently watching what I was doing and looked at me proudly realizing exactly what I figured out.

"Dad." I said breathlessly, feeling my heart pound. Conan wasn't Conan….Conan was Dad! That's why he was acting so weird and how he can guess what I am thinking. All the looks throughout the whole time it was Dad looking at me. That makes sense about the gadgets too but it didn't explain why Dad looked so young now. But that didn't matter to me right now…..

I dropped my pencil and ran around the table and grabbed a hold of Conan's hands, squeezing them, as I looked up at his emerald blue eyes that shined from the sunlight as he looked down at me.

"You're Dad aren't you?" I didn't ask, I knew the answer, I solved the mystery. I was just merely putting my conclusion, the best one in my head at least, to test.

Conan smiled, slipping one hand away from my grasp to take off his glasses and nodded his head. "You never seize to amaze me, my deducing daughter. Maybe you did inherit more from me than I thought!" It was amazing how much he looked more like Dad without the glasses. He looked younger but he was still Dad alright.

My face started to hurt by how much I was grinning. It was really him! I couldnt contain myself and dove into his stomach, wrapping my small arms around his torso as best as I could. "Dad! You really are Dad!"

Dad didn't reply but just picked me up to hug me tighter to himself. Our father-daughter reunion hug you could say, was the first hug in five years. It felt nice and he was really warm. His hug was much different than Mom's too. He was much stronger with the way he held me, but I liked it, and he smelled different too. He wasn't sweet smelling like Mom, but smelled more like clean pressed shirts and cologne. It was a strange mixture, but it was nice I decided in my head with my arms wrapped his collar and my face buried in the crook of his neck. His hand ran down the back of my head as he murmured how much he missed me and I tightened my hold on him. "I missed you too, Dad."

I then loosened my hold around his neck and placed my hands on his shoulders, pushing back so I could look at his face as he held me up. I then surprised him by pressing my two hands on each side of his face and turned it from side to side.

"But, Dad! Explain to me how you turned so young again. I don't remember you being like this…"

"Really?" Dad laughed, letting me nod his head up and down and then all around " Well, that's a story in itself. You see-"

Dad was interrupted when we both turned around on the couch hearing the front door open to see Mom had walked in and started to take off her heels.

"Hello? Professor? Sorry I took so long but I came for Rei-chan!"

"Mom!" I said to myself in excitement " Look, Dad! Mom's here and I think more than anything you need to see her and expla-" I got quiet when I saw Dad wasn't even listening to me but was staring at Mom. He set me down on the couch and got up and walked over towards Mom that was still looking around for the professor.

"Ran."

Mom turned to the call of her name and froze when she saw Dad walking up towards her from the living room where we sat at. The smile on her face slowly faded away to just her mouth slightly hanging open, almost the kind of look if she saw a ghost. Her cell phone she was holding in her hand fell to the ground without warning and made a loud banging noise with everything else was silent in the house. I watched quietly peering over the back of the couch, waiting to see what would happen.

Dad whispered Mom's name again and slowly came closer to her where she looked almost frozen to the tiles of the floor now. Dad went to reach for Mom's hand and right when he was about touch her fingers, Mom jerked her hand away behind her.

"They told me you were dead." Mom said flatly, her face still expressionless. Dad's eyes squeezed shut for a moment from hearing the word dead and he let out a deep breathe. " Ran, this is going to be-"

"**Stop!"**

I winced back when Mom raised her voice, her brown eyebrows burrowed together and her eyes sharp, almost piercing, a look of anger so scary, that even _**I **_was scared for Dad. It was rare when I saw Mom become like this. She only looked like this when she had to take down bad guys on her own if she witnessed a crime or when people talked badly of Dad in front of her on purpose.

Dad didn't budge when her voice got louder but just stood and looked at her.

"Shinichi, don't you dare tell me that for the past _**five**_ years you have been hiding in the shadows watching your daughter and I _**mourning**_ over your loss! Like it was some big joke all over again!"

Dad didn't say anything for a moment but took another step towards Mom where he was close enough that he could just reach out to touch her. He looked down at her as she stood unmoving with her hands on her hips, glaring up into his face.

" It was never a joke, Ran. Never something to laugh about and I have been away too long. Everyday I missed you, more and more and more. Both of you. This was something I _**had**_ to do to keep you both safe."

" You being away for five years was keep us _safe?_" Mom hissed through her teeth, her grip no longer on her waist but her hands balled up into tight fists. If I wasn't mistaken, Mom looked like she was about to deck Dad in the face. He wasn't smart standing that close to her and I felt the urge to warn him.

Dad sighed, running a hand through his hair and down the side of his face. " Ran, five years ago- no ten years ago when I returned from being Conan because I thought I had finally brought down the syndicate, I was wrong. I didn't realize this until five years ago during a heist with a criminal during a case I was solving. When I had him trapped and was about to arrest him, the jerk made a remark about how I brought down his organization in the form of a child. He applauded me and then he pulled out a gun saying that if I thought I had succeeded in bringing down all of the syndicate that I was dead wrong. He said that I had missed crucial areas in the organization and it wasn't going to be the last I saw of them even if I took him in. He looked like a young member, a new recruit, so I tested him and I asked why doesn't he become a hero and just kill the person who did infiltrate the syndicate successfully. I thought he wouldn't, didn't have the guts too. I was right, he wasn't for that at first until he gave it another thought and shot me three times and fled. Fortunately for me, Megure and the others heard the gun shots and found me. I wasn't too bad off but it was close, the guy had horrible aim and when I told Megure what he said the news spread quick around the department and just as quickly the FBI became involved. I had no choice to feign death if the syndicate was still alive and go into the witness protection program. I left to America shortly and because of good ties I had with the FBI I worked along with them to make sure any remnants, if there were any, of the organization were to be squashed. I just didn't know it would take five years from overseas to make sure the syndicate was dead. I made the decision to take the drug that shrunk me into Conan again and move overseas to protect my family. I couldn't bear being away from you guys and everything I missed but to think if the syndicate knew I was still alive and chose to go after you both and I lost you and Rei…I wouldn't….I _**couldn't…**_"

Dad got really silent as his eyes fell to the ground as he wordlessly shook his head with Mom just watching him.

I almost jumped up hearing a loud, sudden, noise fill the room. I was shocked to see Mom breathing heavy, her arm across her body and her hand high in the air. Dad's face was turned to the side and his cheek glowed red. His eyes growing large as he looked at Mom in shock. Mom slapped Dad _**hard**_! I was starting to get really scared, clenching onto the back of the couch, as I waited for Mom to do something. I really didn't want her to hurt Dad and if I had to I would go over there and stop it but-

"Ran…I'm-"

"Shinichi."

Mom interrupted him before he could speak, her eyes still angry but not as much anymore. She looked more sad now " That's for leaving us for five years because you had to be an idiot." Mom had tears welling up in her eyes now watching Dad nod his head again silently.

" I know..Ran I-"

Mom interrupted him again, wiping her cheeks where tears started to roll down and took a step closer to Dad where she could lean against his body. She let her forehead rest against his chest as her hands reached up to his face " And this…" Mom grabbed Dad's face and moved it down towards hers where she whispered "This is for coming back home safely to me" before pressing her mouth to his.

Dad at first looked kind of surprised, maybe as much as me, at Mom's second action but then didn't look like he minded what Mom was doing. Dad shook off his shock and looped one arm around Mom's waist and another arm around her shoulders, pulling her body closer to his. I feel like I should've, like every other child would be when seeing their parents kissing, kind of grossed out or awkward. But surprisingly, I wasn't, I was more elated than anything. I wanted to clap or cheer because it was like a crummy romance movie Mom and I would watch together but better because it was _my_ parents rekindling what they have missed for five years-each others love. I had to admit…it was kind of sweet.

I think I let out a happy squeal on accident making Mom break away and make eye contact with me.

"Rei-chan!", Mom gasped, her cheeks blooming into a lovely crimson color now realizing my presence.

I slapped a hand over my mouth and rolled my eyes for ruining the _moment_. Stupid curse of the squeals! But who cares now…. I hopped over the back of the couch and made my way nonchalantly to where my parents stood and wrapped an arm around each over their legs and looked up at them as they looked down at me blinking.

I coughed clearing my voice and grinned " Well, since that's all over with and your little urge for some lovin' is out of your system….how about we pay some attention to your daughter, hmm?"

Dad and Mom looked at each other first blinking and then back down at me. That's when Dad's eyes got all sharp again, like he was planning something. "Oh? Were you feeling left out?" Dad then raised an eyebrow at Mom who was biting back laughter " Ran, I think our daughter is feeling a little needy.."

I saw Mom perk up like she would when she was serious and stifle a laugh as she threw her hands on her hips nodding to Dad " My, I think you're right. What should we do about this, dear?"

I took a careful step back, noticing the glitter in their eyes, not feeling whatever they were up to " Okay, guys. I don't think I quite _like_ the way you both are staring at me…."

But it was too late.

Dad quickly spun me around by my waist when I tried running away and scooped me up where Mom and him attacked me with butterfly kisses. I feigned disgust and screamed for help until my own laughter drowned out my calls for need as Mom and Dad continued relentlessly.

Five years I thought Dad was gone and I was ashamed that I actually believed it. I really did undermine my Dad's capabilities and I should have listened to Mom when she said that she felt Dad wasn't _entirely_ gone. For the first time in a long while, it felt like I had my family back. For the first time in a long while, I felt like Mom was truly back to herself. For the first time in a long while, I was back to being my Daddy's little girl again.

It couldn't have gotten any better…..

….that was until Mom and Dad informed, three months later, I had sibling on the way.

_**Fin**_

_**My, do I have a complete story? Whoa. Shockers! Or maybe I should add a little one-shot sequel should follow, hm? Concerning the take on this story -I realize Rei, being eight and all, her take through her own perspective is a bit...erm...advanced..I'll just go on and justify with the fact it is because she is Kudou Shinichi's daughter and she is veryveryvery smart for that reason. Ha. Thanks for reviews guys…I enjoyed this one! One of the few stories I have written that I especially enjoyed writing!-Detectivegirl2005**_


	3. Confrontation

I leaned over lightly tracing the dark circles that formed in deep pockets under Dad's eyes as he laid sprawled out on our sofa passed out cold. Another long case last night. Dad probably didn't get home from the station until probably close to three in the morning, something he was starting to make habit lately. Ever since Dad became Senior Investigating Officer of Beika's Metropolitan Police Department, commanding squads of detectives in Tokyo, he has had his work cut out for him. Usually five to six days of the week we would find Dad either stumbling in exhausted from work or just knocked out in the nearest chair. Mom usually would stay up waiting for him when he came home to coax Dad into eating something before helping him into bed. Sometimes she would just cover him up on the couch and switch off the lights, knowing Dad would just be to out of it to do anything else. As much as I was happy for Dad's new position that he rightly deserved ever since coming back from America and quickly going back to the grind working for the police department, I could see it was wearing on him. Especially since he hardly had time to see me or Seiichi lately since advancing into his new position.

I sighed, my fingers lingering on Dad's closed eyes, when I felt light pressure on my right shoulder. I craned my neck around to see Mom standing behind me with her hand on me, smiling softly down at Dad sleeping on the couch. Prickly hairs covered his jaw line in a dark shadow from him not even having the time to shave lately. Mom chuckled lightly at the sight," He always looks so weird to me when he starts growing in his beard. It doesn't suit him."

I laughed to myself too, getting another look at Dad while he slept soundly. Mom was right, facial hair on Dad _did_ look weird on him. Kind of a rough look for him. Using the edge of couch to support myself, I stood up from where I knelt beside Dad and brushed out my iron pressed navy blue skirt with my hands. Mom turned her gaze from Dad to me and let out a hushed sound of awe, gazing at me in my new high school uniform.

"It fits you so well!", Mom gushed as she padded over to me straightening out my green tie buttoned up behind my navy blue blazer. Today was the first day of high school at my mother and father's alma mater school, Teitan High. I couldn't help but be as excited as Mom was as she looked me up and down, fixing this and that with my uniform or my hair. As she did so Mom went on about how much I have grown since entering middle school and just couldn't believe where the years went. I couldn't believe it either since Dad suddenly reappeared seven years ago. I was now about the same height as Mom, maybe slightly taller. My dark hair now fell down past the middle of my back and hung over my shoulders a little past my chest. These days now I was able to manage my hair a little better even though it relentlessly took up the same unruly look as Dad's. I even have a similar athletic build as Mom but just a little more toned with muscle from all the years of basket ball I have been playing. Grandma says I look just like Mom did when she was in high school. Except one thing, Mom would say. My cerulean eyes. My eyes, Mom would say, has taken a sharper look to them over the years that has remarkably made me look like my father when I take on a certain look. Mom would laugh when Dad and I would pour over a case together and in unison we would adopt a look of concentration as we would try to put the puzzle pieces together of a case. Mom wasn't the only one that would mention this but also Dad's partners at work would note the same thing when I would sometimes volunteer my services at my Dad's station or go along on cases with Dad to shadow or work with him. Everyone would admire us together saying like father like daughter and I couldn't help but to admit that they were right. Over the years since Dad has returned, even I have noticed striking similar things and habits between Dad and I that we shared. One would of course be my obsession with criminal law after my childhood was spent reading a majority of Dad's novels. I didn't know how much Mom quite liked that for me, especially, since I have been in middle school, would go on cases with Dad. I don't know how many times Dad has been reprimanded by Mom for allowing that.

I looked down at myself in self appraise, my dark eyebrows raising, " I do look good in it, don't I?" I grinned as my hands traced the sides of my breasts that formed well beneath my form fitting blazer. "Look how great I filled out over the years Mom!" I bragged before striking a pose. Then, giving my best seductive face towards Mom I huskily said " Now I know that among the girls in high school, I shall reign as the most _irresistible_ one with my great body, beautiful face, intelligence, and my witty personality. " Mom looked at me almost in disbelief before her eyes narrowed and playfully swapped at my head.

"Careful there Rei-chan, your head is starting to balloon as large as your father's. Young women should practice being humble and gentle." Mom lightly berated me, her hands finding their rightful spot on her hips. Ultimate mother pose.

"Which are two things I'm not!" I playfully grinned back at Mom who at the moment gave me one of her _looks. _Guess she didn't find that as funny as I did…

"Kudou Rei…" Mom began, her voice hinting at annoyance.

Mom saying my full name like that was a warning to watch myself so I backed off with an apology and a kiss on her cheek before skittering out of the room. Once again, one of shining similarities between my father and me: our inflamed egotistical cocky personalities. I have no idea when it really kicked in, I'm thinking most likely after puberty. Or when I noticed boys trailing after me like lost puppies. Either way I felt I had a healthy source of confidence and self awareness for a teenage girl. No problem in that, right?

"You better not be late for opening ceremony Rei-chan! " Mom called after me as I ran out of the downstairs office and up to the stairs to our apartment. My thoughts were bouncing off the ideas of what my first day would hold, where I should meet up with my friends, what kind of lunch Mom made for me, what class I would be in, hoping it was the same class Ayumi-neechan taught since becoming a teacher at Teitan High. I was smiling so wide and was so enwrapped in my thoughts that I was caught off guard when a small body came colliding into me almost knocking me down the staircase until the swift grab of a small hand wrapped around my wrist and the sound of a small grunt was made. I was panting, adrenaline rushing through me, for I thought I was a goner about to tumble down the staircase if it wasn't for my small, pint sized brother who was grinning up at me with his tiny hand still wrapped around my wrist.

"You okay, Rei-neechan?"

This kid was unnaturally strong, being able to pull back someone more than double his size towards him from falling to her death. I don't think he realized it himself sometimes but since he was stocky baby I knew he would be trouble when everyone watched in horror/disbelief that his crawling was helped by him pushing a chair around the office which soon transitioned in to him walking and running while _pushing_ the chair around the office. Even before he could walk he would _wrestle_ with our hundred and twenty pound German Shepherd, Holmes. It was no guess where he adopted this un-human like strength. _**Mom**_. I always have been slightly wary of him and his strength especially when he also grew a passion for martial arts like Mom. To put it simple, Seiichi could be awfully lethal- just like Mom. Yet, despite his strength, he had such a kind and lovable heart. He hated fighting when it wasn't recreational and still retained childish fears like the being scared of the dark, thunderstorms, and anything and everything that had to do with horror. He was _**such**_ a momma's boy, but I loved him because of it. For him and Mom, it was like mother like son.

"Just fine, thanks." I panted, my hand placing itself over my heart that thumped wildly. "Almost fell to my death if it wasn't for you rescuing me!"

Seiichi's smile grew even brighter as he handed my brown satchel for school that I gladly received "Just watching out for my big sister!"

I shook my head laughing as I ruffled his tussled golden brown hair "I think you have it opposite there kid. As your big sister _**I**_ should be watching out for _**you**_, my baby brother."

"I'm not a baby, neechan! I'm seven now! _**Seven! **_I'm more than capable to keeping you safe!" Seiichi cried in frustration, scrunching his face up to me as I towered over him grinning.

"Yeah, yeah I hear you Sei-chan" I smiled, knowing how much, especially my nickname for him, irritated poor Seiichi to no end as I kneeled down brushing a lock of hair behind my ear to kiss his cheek that he _tried _reeling back from. Seiichi, since he was a toddler, has always been attached to me, almost hitched to my hip. When we were younger we shared the same room until I turned thirteen and throughout those years we grew a very strong bond. It was weird because as his big sister, of course, I have been very protective of him into recognizing how sensitive he was. Yet, when I started entering my teenage years in middle school and when Seiichi recognized that sometimes boys would walk me home, he became insanely protective of me. He even punched a friend of mine directly in the gut who tried, out of pure innocent intentions, to hug me sending the kid crumpling to the ground. We had to talk about that afterwards, no matter amusing it was to see a five year old send a thirteen year boy to the ground in the fetal position.

I smiled into his deep indigo eyes, Mom's exact color, and brushed my nose against his when he scowled at me as I continued to smile at him. Seiichi was absolutely adorable amidst his hulk like strength. His hair was naturally messy like mine and Dad's, yet worse. It was odd by how much he adopted some looks from Grandma Yukiko, such as her golden brown hair. With his deep purple blue eyes, his golden brown hair, and his stocky little stature I just knew he was going to be a pretty boy like Dad was when he was a teenager. Only, that he will be oblivious to it by how much he is like Mom- humble and gentle. He won't even know like now how he is such a magnet for girls alike. Such a waste of talent….

Seiichi rocked back on his heels in excitement as he tugged the straps on his small leather backpack. "I'm ready to go neechan! I promised I would meet up with Takao-kun at the gates for the first day of second grade!"

Suzuki Takao, Aunt Sonoko and Makoto's seven year old son, who also adopted his father's, who by the way is a world renown martial artist, un-human like strength. The two of them were stars in Mom's dojo, being known as the deadly duo, as well as being the best of friends and rivals.

I flipped open my cell phone to look at the time and then slipped it into my satchel. He was right to be ready to go since I still needed to drop him off at his elementary school while making it in time for opening ceremony.

"Lets go then!" I smiled down at him before turning on my heel and racing down the flight of stairs to the sidewalk with Seiichi behind screaming at me to wait up. He still couldn't catch me without being out of breath. He was so fun to tease.

Finally when Seiichi did catch up with me on the sidewalk, he gripped my free hand tightly as if I was going to run off again. I promised I wouldn't but he still wouldn't let go, visibly upset from all my teasing this morning. To get his attention as he glared into the distance refusing to talk to me, I pulled up his purple hoodie over his tussled golden brown hair to cover is eyes where he stumbled and bumped into my thigh. "Rei-neechan!" he half screamed pulling ripping his hoodie away from his eyes so he could again scowl at me as I squeezed his hand.

"Oh, look! Sei-chan is talking to me again!" I grinned, turning the corner towards his elementary school. Seiichi pursed his lips together and looked the other way and I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry Seiichi. I'll stop teasing for today! You know you're my favorite little brother!" I apologized genuinely, leaning over to kiss the back of his hand that I held.

Seiichi looked back at me his eyebrows burrowed together, "That's because I'm your only brother…"

I lifted my eyebrows, "Oh? You sure? Last I heard Mom was talking about choosing new names…" I started drifting off from talking to insinuate at something that wasn't true to look at Seiichi's horrified face.

"What?" He screeched "Mom is going to have another baby!"

The shock and horror on Seiicchi's face was unbearable as I keeled over laughing when Seiichi, within range of me doubled over, took a shot at my arm making me quickly halt my hysterics and grasp my tender bicep in shock.

"Oww!" I whined, my arm throbbing, looking pitiful at Seiichi who huffed and ignored my pain. Okay, so I did earn what was coming to me from getting him again. But his little shots made me bruise like a banana and I couldn't afford going to my first day of high school bruised and tattered by the hands of a seven year old.

"That's for saying you would stop when you didn't!" Seiichi glared, thrusting his hands on his hips. Like Mom. He was _**such**_ a momma's boy.

Just when I was about to apologize again I felt a small nudge from my side that almost sent me toppling onto Seiichi. I whipped my head around about to rant out the person that rudely bumped into me when my breath hitched in my throat and I heard Seiichi from beside me openly groan.

Kuroba Daichi. The son of the famous legendary magician (who is also secretly the legendary thief KID according to my dad), Kuroba Kaito. Daichi was the most popular boy from my middle school, a witty magician like his father, and secretly my biggest crush I have had since I was eleven when I first met him during after hours when I was still practicing basketball. I still remember that day clearly when I was practicing my drills and lay ups when I accidentally landed wrong on my foot when I was pivoting to take a shot. I remember hearing the pop in my ankle that sent me crumbling down to the ground hissing in pain clutching onto my leg. Then, out of nowhere, enters Daichi-kun, fresh from track practice, to my rescue. As much as I at first stubbornly rejected his offer of help saying that I could make it on my own to the nurses' office, he refused to hear it and proceeded to lift me, bridal style, in his arms to take me to the infirmary. At that time I never knew Daichi except he was the middle school's track and baseball star. He was also insanely popular with girls professing their love for him, of course _**except**_ for me, which he always brushed aside kindly. I never really saw where all the craziness came from over this one kid, he didn't seem so special to me. Yet, that day when I sprained my ankle, as if it wasn't embarrassing enough when he carried me to the infirmary, he also _piggy-back rode _me on his, from one of my innocent observations, _broad _back to my home. He also proceeded for the next seven days to stop by my apartment to check on me.

Mom loved him for that and Dad, without even having to know his name, quickly pinned him as the infamous son of Kuroba Kaito and was wary of him since. He wasn't all giddy as Mom was when Daichi came by after school to check on my condition since I couldn't practice basketball during the week I was home. Instead Dad would linger around in the hall peering into my room as Daichi would talk to me. Mom would sometimes even have to physically drag Dad away because he would even creep _me _out by the way he glared at poor Daichi. Since then Daichi and I became close friends which both Dad and Seiichi didn't quite like since they knew without me even saying it that I secretly harbored feelings for Daichi. They could just see it when they looked at me when he was around. Sometimes, as Dad would say which I hated to also admit was true, that looks just said it all. To be frank, it was weird finding myself catch feelings for Daichi, when I had no intention for it to happen. I wasn't one of those girls that fought for his feelings, **absolutely not**. So it did bother me _slightly_ that of all people I had to _like_ Kuroba Daichi when he was also one of my best friends. But like I would ever tell him, I was still to stubborn to admit the fact to myself completely. I made it a personal vow that he shall never even know that I have the slightest romantic feelings for him. But, truly Daichi no matter what would always be my closest friend. He was really nice, honest, intelligent, cunning, athletic, funny, and thoughtful. But it was his love for criminal law that really brought us together. His grandfather was retired Inspector Nakamori, an old man who to this day was still obsessed with catching the infamous KID thief. Daichi acted like he didn't care too much for KID (even though without him knowing I knew who his father _**really**_ was) but did desire to one day work for with the FBI. Knowing his family, I assumed he was influenced more so by his mother who was all for justice and no nonsense that his father fully provided. Nonsense in bountiful amounts. Daichi's father was indeed, er, how shall I put it…_energetic_.

"Good morning Kudou-chan!" Daichi grinned, obviously excited for high school too. "Congratulations, by the way, on your father obtaining the new SIO position a couple weeks ago at the station! Big honor!"

My cheeks bloomed red from being caught off guard seeing him this morning before school. He looked really good in his uniform that made him seem _older._ I pulled together a smile and a weak wave of my hand finding it hard for me to tear my gaze away from looking him up and down. He definitely has gotten taller and more solid. Must be from all the training for the upcoming baseball tournaments this April. His emerald blue eyes glittered unusually so this morning and his naturally spiked deep brown hair was trimmed up slightly. His uniform collared long sleeve white shirt was rolled up over his blazer and pushed up towards the top of his forearm. He was slightly bent, his brown satchel held with one arm hanging over his back, smiling down at me where I leant over towards Seiichi ,who at the moment, was glaring at Daichi.

"Good morning chibi Kudou-kun!"

Seiichi _hated_ when Daichi greeted him with _chibi_ in front of his name. Anything in reference of being small or a baby usually set off Seiichi, especially coming from Daichi. Daichi has always done it to differentiate between him and my Dad even though he did refer to Dad as Kudou-_san_. He was better off showing Dad the utmost respect when he was around me. I was half scared when Seiichi took a sudden step towards Daichi, afraid he was going to kick him in the shin or something, when Seiichi made a curt nod of his head and responded respectfully with a "Good morning Kuroba-san.", before stepping back, ever so slightly _in front_ of me. No matter how much Seiichi didn't like someone, he always was good at maintaining his manners. Something well practiced from the lessons of Mom. Something I very well failed at maintaining sometimes.

I felt myself inwardly sigh in relief when Seiichi remained polite to Daichi, no matter how much he loathed him. He had no real valid reason for hating Daichi. It was just because Seiichi just _knew_ I liked him. It was the stupid detective intuitiveness that ran through our family blood. I straightened up my back and composed myself so I could face Daichi who now decided to walk with us to school.

"What's with that insanely dumb grin painted on your face Daichi? And Kudou-chan?" I asked suspiciously, my eyes narrowing. Daichi just laughed in response. Seiichi made a low growl.

"Sorry, just excited that we are finally entering high school together! Isn't okay to feel this happy, _Rei?" _ Daichi made sure to address me correctly this time, smirking, knowing, just how much he can piss me off sometimes. Plus, I felt that whole high school crap he babbled about just now was a lie. He was excited about something else. And it was bugging me.

I eyed Daichi suspiciously as we all continued walking, half heartedly listening to him as he continued to ramble on about baseball practice, what new tricks him and his father have been working on together, and how they recently both got in trouble with his Mom when they tried the trick out on her. As we rounded the corner towards Seiichi's school I couldn't take anymore of his poor attempts to hide what he was he really excited about.

"Will you cut the crap and tell me what's really going through your head? You know me well enough that I know its something else that is keeping you so elated this morning!" I finally barked out interrupting whatever spiel he was on about baseball again, fed up with his poor attempts to hide his thoughts from me. Daichi and I usually had fairly good open communication and him hiding something from me was kind of insulting.

Daichi looked relatively shocked from my outburst, his grin slowly fading away when I stopped walking by him waiting for an answer. The next thing that happened I cant really say I anticipated at all and from this day has sent me into a world of confusion.

Daichi slumped his shoulders before running a hand through his spiky hair, as if trying to think of what to say while I stood defiantly before him. "I was waiting till I had Dad help me master this new trick I wanted to show you but I guess this will just have to do…"

I blinked wildly when my vision was soon filled harmless white smoke before I half jerked away when I saw a pearl white rose poking directly between my eyes. Mindlessly I grabbed the rose and held it in front of me where Daichi stood closer before me, his cheeks blooming red.

What's going on?... Something is going on with Daichi and it's not right…

"I have been thinking, for a long time actually, that you and I…" Daichi started bashfully as I stood shell shocked, looking into his emerald blue eyes that bore into mine " Maybe starting today as we enter high school together we should become more than just best friends, Rei. I was hoping that today we could mark this not only a new beginning for school, but for us." My jaw dropped open when I felt the force and shock of Daichi's next words that he announced boldly before me.

"Rei, what I am trying to say is that I don't want to be just your best friend anymore, I want to be your boyfriend!"

Well, I honestly didn't expect _**that**_ on my first day of high school. I also didn't expect myself to forget how to speak or even to _breathe._ But thank goodness for Seiichi since he promptly answered for me amidst watching the whole event unfold in front of him.

"**No.**" Seiichi replied audaciously " No. You cannot become Rei-neechan's boyfriend. I will not allow it."

Okay, maybe it _**wasn't**_ good for Seiichi to take my place in talking. Daichi didn't even bother to look down at Seiichi who rejected his offer for me, but trained his eyes on me, waiting, looking, and reading me carefully. Daichi must have known that I was completely thrown off because next thing I knew he just went back to smiling casually like he didn't just confess at all.

"It's okay, Rei. This was unexpected so I honestly wasn't expecting an answer right off the bat." Daichi took a step back from me, swinging his satchel behind his back again, giving me a wink "Just do me a favor and consider it for me! You're the only girl in my eyes."

And with that Daichi was off running to school leaving me behind pinching my arm in a lame attempt to check if I was still in the realm of reality. Leave it to Seiichi to help me recover when he jerked on my arm, shaking me like a ragdoll.

"Neechan! You're going to reject him right!" asked Seiichi desperately, as if what just happened was one of his worst nightmares. "I don't want him to be my brother in-law! He is the last person I want in our family!"

I was taken aback how Seiichi quickly jumped forward from Daichi possibly becoming a boyfriend to husband. "Who said I was getting married, Sei-chan! Brother in-law? Really, Sei-chan?" I narrowed my eyes, completely irritated by how much Seiichi and Dad never gave Daichi the time of day before writing him off as bad. He was perfectly fine, never did a thing wrong at all to give the excuse for anyone to hate him. "Plus, even if I did say yes for him to be my boyfriend, it would be _**my**_ decision! Not yours! I just.. " I looked away from the alarm starting to register on Seiichi's face, feeling my ears get hot " I just need some time to decide what to do now."

"You're actually going to consider it, Rei-neechan?" Seiichi asked in disbelief and when I remained silent because I wasn't even sure myself, Seiichi pulled out his guns. I didn't look toward Seiichi until I heard the quick clicks of buttons and then a five second pause before hearing a vibrating buzz. "I know who can help you decide" Seiichi half muttered to himself, preoccupied with his phone.

"What are you doing Sei-chan?" I asked cautiously, watching Seiichi going to work on his cell phone texting. I already had a bad feeling when Seiichi got several vibrating buzzes after he sent out just one text message.

"I just texted Hattori-niichan that you have a boyfriend now. He doesn't seem happy…" Seiichi offhandedly replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth knowing the chaos he just set off.

I gasped in horror of the degree of the personal offense…no..._criminal _act Seiichi had just committed. If I thought I already problems now, they just got worse. Hattori Hitoshi, Hattori Heiji's eldest son who was my age and since childhood has been infatuated with me. Of course, I never saw Hitoshi like that. I just viewed him somewhat of a brother since we grew up together. But, boy, this guy was the definition of _**tenacious **_when it came to claiming my heart. I applaud him for his endurance of the last fifteen years of our lives trying fruitlessly into making us a couple, but if he didn't live in Osaka, three hours away from me, I was sure I would _**murder**_ him. What's worse is that Seiichi and Hitoshi were the best of friends, a developed kind of brotherly bond since Seiichi knew I couldn't stand the idea of being any sort of romantic with Hitoshi. They were both in it against me being in any sort of contact with any male humans. It didn't help that Dad and Uncle Heiji would joke around that our families would one day become officially one if Hitoshi and I decided to get married. Hitoshi was fired up by that thought. I felt sick to my stomach when I tried to imagine it.

"How could you!" I hissed down at Seiichi, so appalled and angry that I could melt metal with my sight. Seiichi didn't even have the chance to reply when my ringtone went off suddenly and I didn't have to think twice who was calling. I was just afraid Hitoshi was going to skip his own high school opening ceremony to come to Tokyo and start drama. Seiichi's act to keep me away from Daichi was atrocious, yet well formulated, because Hattori Hitoshi would do anything, _**anything**_**, **to knock out any challengers for my love. I dug out my cellphone and quickly jabbed the ignore button, not feeling like having a crazy maniac ruin my morning before school. So much for being excited about high school now…

* * *

…_..Rei_

…_Rei_

_Rei_

"**Rei-chan! **"

I jerked down on my newspaper, my head snapping up in alarm to see Mom glaring at me from across the coffee table on the couch. I hadn't even realized I was zoning out until she shouted my name. She must have been trying to get my attention for a while now because she seemed pretty upset.

"Were you not listening to a thing I asked?" Mom huffed, setting down the cookbook she was reading on the table before going back to combing her fingers through Dad's hair. Dad, at the moment, was lounging his head in Mom's lap as he luxuriously read his new mystery novel, absorbed in his own little world. Seiichi on the couch across from them next to me was reading his own some sort of kid's novel. This was our own special family time when everyone was home from school and work and we would all lounge in the downstairs office living room to read or just chat about what happened in each of our days. I was at the moment reading about the case Dad recently solved earlier this week in the newspaper when Mom started to ask me about my first day of school. Of course I didn't hear her because I wasn't even really paying attention to _anything_ except for what happened this morning…

"Uh…school?" I weakly provided, not even sure that was what Mom was talking about before getting annoyed.

"Yes, school. How was your first day?" Mom asked, a third time, while Dad thumbed through another page of his book.

"Erm…" I searched for the best adjective to describe my day and all I could come up with to sum up everything was " Eventful. My day was eventful! Yours?" I asked, very ready to switch topics.

But I should've known it wouldn't be that easy.

"What? That's it?" Mom asked disappointed "There has to be more than just _eventful_ Rei-chan!"

"Oh.." Seiichi began, looking my way with a smile I have never recognized on his face before. It was too smug. "Rei-neechan's day was eventful alright!"

I gasped, mortified by how my once sweet little brother was just now throwing me under the bus. Where did my sweet brother go, because whoever replaced him is some brat I could _kill_ right now. Mom cocked an eyebrow and even Dad set down his book and directed his gaze on me. This wasn't good, this was _**not**_ good at all. We had a few rules in our household and the one rule that was always to be upheld and respected was '**No Lying. Under **_**any**_** circumstances'. ** It was mainly put into effect by Mom since Dad returned from his whole fiasco of being shrunk a second time and leaving from our lives for five years in America, lying to protect us from a criminal organization he got involved in. It was the golden rule in the house that was always kept up and I knew now, thanks to Seiichi, I was trapped.

"What's Seiichi-kun talking about, Rei-chan?" Mom asked, wary. I glared at Seiichi who simply shrugged and flipped another page of his book like he did nothing wrong. Just wait, karma is a _bitch_ Sei-chan. Just. You. Wait.

I sighed deeply burying my face in my hands so my parents couldn't see the three shades of red my face changed to. How was I going to say this without them freaking out? Excuse me, let me correct myself. Without _**Dad**_ freaking out.

"Just something happened between me and Daichi-kun. That's all." I mumbled into my hands, but it caused the right affect. Dad shot out of Mom's lap and was leaning over the coffee table trying to pry away my hands from my face.

"What? What?" Dad started panicking" Kuroba-kun did what to you? Kaito's son? Are you hurt? I swear I'll ki-"

"Dad!" I groaned, cutting him off before he really got hysterical " Nothing like _that_! I promise. It's just…" I trailed off, thinking it couldn't get worse from here because I didn't want my parents knowing about this. My first confession. This is the last thing a teenage girl wants to chit chat with her parents. Especially her Dad that _hated_ the kid that confessed to her.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Mom provided, grasping my hands in hers with reassurance "If so I'm sure you will work it out! You two are the best of friends!"

"No…" I groaned again, feeling my entire body turn red from how embarrassing this was. This was almost as bad as the puberty talk plus Dad actually being present. "Daichi-kun just…"

" He asked Rei-neechan to be his girlfriend." Seiichi finished, settling the whole matter.

"I don't know who you are but if you could kindly replace my sweet Seiichi instead of super evil Seiichi that would be **great**." I snapped out in anger, fuming as Seiichi now set down his book casually and crossed his leg over his other and leaned back into the couch.

"I just thought maybe our family should have input on this too , Rei-neechan." Seiichi smiled sweetly, while it took everything in me to not wipe that smile from his face so quick that it w-

"Oh?" Mom gasped, clasping her hands together while Dad looked dumbfounded at me. "Your first love, Rei-chan! How exciting! "Mom cooed, a little too happy for my mood at the moment " Did you respond in a respectful manner?"

Dad narrowed his eyes at Mom, obviously not as thrilled as she was about the situation, and then looked at me "You didn't say '_yes_ did you?"

Seiichi and I responded quickly in unison, "No!" and I glared at Seiichi again, hoping my looks could at least cause some sort of pain, since he once again lunged to be first to answer for me. "Thank you Seiichi but I can talk for _**myself**_." I gritted down on my teeth, repeating our second rule in the household in my head- _**No hitting, whatsoever, unless it's sparring**_.

When Dad started relaxing his shoulders satisfied with my answer, I quickly added " But I didn't say '_**no**_** '**either, Dad!" that sent Dad right to tensing up again

I blushed when Dad's lips pressed together in a thin line, trying really hard to maintain his cool, waiting for me to continue my reasoning. Dad was the most level headed person I have ever known, especially when it came to stressful situations, but lately since I have gotten older Dad's cool has started to dissolve away. He's become more paranoid when I travel alone, what I wear in public, and even who I hang around with. It's almost become suffocating by how much he has been trying to protect me.

"Look Dad.." I started, avoiding his blue eyes that have significantly darkened since mentioning Daichi " it's not like me and Daichi are dating or anything yet. And even if we did…I mean…" My blush darkened as Dad's eyes didn't stray from mine, his look starting to become intimidating " ..I mean…I would at least till I was _sixteen_ till I started dating like you and Mom did."

"Seventeen." Dad corrected "Your mother and I were _seventeen_ when we started dating. Close to eighteen. You are only merely fifteen. Too young in my eyes to even consider the notion of dating!" Dad finished, crossing his forearms on his chest with an ending nod of his head.

Unfortunately for Dad, where he thought he just won this conversation just like that, I was only getting started.

"Uh, excuse me…"glaring at Dad's smugness as if he had won the conversation right then and there " I believe the reason you and Mom waited till you were seventeen, oh sorry, I mean _eighteen_ to date was because you were too preoccupied being a seven year old again! Plus according to Aunt Sonoko you were kind of a wimp when it came to feelings. At least Daichi was bold enough to tell me straight out. In my mind that's kind of mature."

Take a bite out of that Dad.

Mom snickered as Dad looked truly appalled at my comeback. "She's got a point there, Shinichi." Mom said, giving Dad's hand a squeeze before giving me a wink. I smiled, happy at least _someone_ was rooting for my side.

"Ran. Not helping." Dad grumbled, giving Mom a look before turning his eyes, much hardened than before, on me. "Rei. First of all, I stand by my point. Fifteen is too young to date. Especially of all boys, Kuroba-kun. Right now, all you really need to focus on is school, basketball, and maybe if you want, a new case with me."

Kuroba, Kuroba, Kuroba. This is what it all boiled down to. Something about Kuroba-kun has Dad so twisted that he wont even give him the time of day or even think, maybe just for a moment, that Daichi was a normal, peaceful, human being. It made me so incensed how Dad, who was once purely logical, became so stubborn when it came to Daichi.

"What is wrong with you and Kuroba-kun, Dad!" I snapped, my cheeks fuming red from anger " You have _never_ liked him from the start! He hasn't done anything wrong! You're being ridiculous!"

"I am _**not**_ being ridiculous, Rei. I have my reasons to not trust that kid." Dad growled, his eyes avoiding mine now.

"Oh, really?" my eyes narrowed suspiciously " Care to enlighten me on those oh so valid reasons, Dad?"

Mom chuckled again as Dad remained silent, his cheeks starting to turn the faintest blush. So instead, Mom interjected for Dad who was at a loss for words, giving him a pat on the knee.

"Rei-chan, your father has always had a very heated rivalry with Kuroba-kun's father, Kaito. Since they were teenagers, they were always playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse between each other. With your father being a legendary teenage sleuth and Kaito being a legendary thief, Shinichi was set on catching KID once and for all. But I think where your father retains the most anger and mistrust is how Kaito, amidst stealing valuable artifacts, would try to steal my heart from your father."

I gawked at Mom, "KID the Thief tried stealing your heart? This is all out of jealously from Dad?" No. Way. Now things have gotten _interesting._

Mom smiled, looking at Dad as his cheeks darkened " Yeah, well, Kaito _attempted_ stealing my heart. All out of to make you father wild with jealously and anger for his own amusement. He would go so far and even disguise himself as your father. He would do it so well I was almost caught believing Kaito _was_ truly your father until one way or another I would figure out something fishy was going on."

"You just look too much like Ran!" Dad finally blurted out of nowhere " Way too much. Especially as you get older! I know how boys think and I had to fight so many boys off of Ran without her even knowing it. She was too oblivious to the fact that she was beautiful, like you."

"Shinichi…you didn't actually _do_ anything to those boys back then.. did you?" Mom asked, slightly amused and slightly scared to hear if Dad did actually do anything bad to them.

Dad brushed off Mom's worries with a wave of his hand " No, nothing violent. Always scare tactics. Worked on every one of them." Dad grinned and Mom playfully punched his arm.

" You dork." Mom laughed, leaning into Dad's body. " But Rei knows she's beautiful. She's very confident for her age!"

Dad's eyes sharpened looking at me and then to Mom " I know. Which is all the more reason to be wary, Ran. Look at her. She has your looks and my brains. She knows what's she capable of and that's not good. Not good at all. She _**is**_ me, but as a woman. She is dangerous Ran, _**very**_ dangerous."

Mom whipped her head back to me, her eyes widening as she gazed at me in some sort of new perspective. " You're right…" Mom agreed in a horrified whisper, as if this new enlightenment just dawned on her. "She _** is**_ dangerous."

This was starting to become madness now and I had to stop before who knows what Mom would think of me.

"Hey, hey, hey.!Let's come back to me guys. Snap out of it!" I said, waving my hands in front of their faces as Mom and Dad continued to stare at me like they were in some sort of trance. " You guys are being weird." I grumbled, crossing my arms in front of my chest allowing myself to sink back into the couch when my parents seemed to gather their wits. "I get it. I understand. I wont consider dating until _at least_ when I am sixteen. I'll let a year of a maturity hit me. Wait till I am a second year in high school like you guys were when you both were helplessly head over heels for each other."

Dad relaxed somewhat back into the couch, slinging an arm around Mom, before giving a terse nod of his head. "Agreed. One year and who knows what will happen. Maybe you wont want to date at all!"

I rolled my eyes, letting out a snort, before pushing myself up to stand and walked over behind Dad to drop my head to kiss his forehead. "Whatever you say, old man. When did you become so uncool?"

Dad smiled, his blue eyes suddenly having a glint to them, as he looked up at me standing behind him. "When I had a daughter. That's when I lost my affect of being so cool and turned into some protective maniac. Amazing how kids do that to you. Especially girls."

I shrugged, smiling, how in some odd way Dad and I have somehow come to see eye to eye " You worry too much. I think you forget you'll always be the only man in my eyes, Dad. You wont get replaced that easily."

As I started to walk out the downstairs office to go up to the apartment to rattle my head over homework I caught Mom kiss Dad soothingly and hear her say in a affectionate voice "It's amazing how she has got you wrapped around your finger, Shinichi."

I smiled, shutting the door behind me and taking two steps at time up the stairway. Mom's right, I have _always _had Dad wrapped around my finger. Since I was born and especially since we reunited when I was eight. He may be a little deranged when it came to boys and me but he was still my Dad and I will still and always be his little girl. And he will always be my Daddy. Like father like daughter.

But I forgot one thing…

"Hey!" I gasped from running back down stairs in a flash, my attention directed towards Seiichi who was packing his things to come up stairs as well. His smile when he looked up at me immediately started to fade away when he caught glimpse of my expression. Evil expression. "By the way, Sei-chan, I'm telling Hattori-chan you have _**big**_ of crush on her! Didn't think I would know, did you?" and then just like that I left running back upstairs cackling like a madwoman, catching one last glimpse of Seiichi's pale white face. Hattori Ayaka, Uncle Heiji's youngest and only daughter, Seiichi's secret- but -not -so -secret -anymore love interest, and my source of revenge.

Checkmate.

Fin.

_**And there you have it, friends. My sequel to Interview With A Detective. If you didn't catch it, this was seven years after from my last chapter ended. I had fun writing a teenage Rei and a poor Shinichi at a loss how to deal with his teenage daughter. Hope you enjoyed this because I did! I may do something with this a little later on. We'll see!- Detectivegirl2005**_


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